Minor shift in Richardson eponyms (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Once again (I assume) a case where we were led astray by The Eponym Dictionary of Birds (Beolens, et al, 2014), here? Sigh.

But ... it doesn't stop there James!

Here's yet another suggestion, regarding ...

richardsoni as in:
• the New Guinean (Spotless) Crake/Rail ssp. (Zapornia) Porzana tabuensis richardsoni RAND 1940 (here) as "Porzana tabuensis richardsoni":

Named in honor of Mr. W. B. Richardson, mammalogist of the expedition [i.e. the (third) Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (1938-1939)].

[foot-note, bottom p.3]

According to Archbold, Rand & Brass, and their Summary of the 1938-1939 New Guinea Expedition (published in 1942, here): "Mr. W. B. RICHARDSON, mammalogist" was one of the participants of the "American Scientific Party". Also note (just for the fun of it) the foot-note on p.202: "In addition to his regular duties Richardson undertook the operation of the radio at the collecting camp."

There's also a Photo of him, on Plate XIII, No.2 (alt. p.121/170 in the PDF), but it's hard to tell which one (either one of the two men to the left), as there's only three names listed, but four guys in the Photo!? Either way; they all look like they're in their late 20's/early 30's ... which casts some (serious) doubts on him being the Key's: "William Blaine Richardson, Jr. (1891-1972) US banker in Mexico ...", a guy that, at that point, would be about twice as old?

I would say that the Crake/Rail ssp. was/is aimed at the American mammalogist William Bebb Richardson (1912–2006). Also see here.

Alt. English Wikipedia here. Also note Wiki's page for William Blaney Richardson [i.e. Sr.], here, both* claiming the eponyms of the rodents Microhydromys richardsoni and Rattus richardsoni ... !! One of them certainly must be wrong.

However: enjoy!

Björn

PS. For whatever it's worth; (after a quick Google search); it seems like William Bebb Richardson later in life became a Citrus grower. If he truly did? I don't know.

___________________
*Also note their "References"!?

---

 

[l_raty]

Also see here.

Alt. [here].

----------
PS -

There's also a Photo of him, on Plate XIII, No.2 (alt. p.121/171 in the PDF), but it's hard to tell which one (either one of the two men to the left), as there's only three names listed, but four guys in the Photo!?

He is the one in front, with the plaid shirt. (The standing man appears to be bringing food to the table, and must be the one whose name is omitted in the caption.) He's also on Pl. XXV (p. 145 of .pdf), Fig. 2. Same shirt.

 

[janvanderbrugge]

It could have been such an honour . . .

There is no end to the twists and turns of this thread, Björn! You presented travelers or collectors pictured during their activities in New Guinea. Laurent went along with it and I am going off-topic as well. When erasing the name W.E.Richardson I thought of a nice story in eponymics, which I give in its original form, because I suppose some compatriots (and maybe Laurent as well) would enjoy this lecture in solemn, old-time Dutch; the translation is added. The first part is about Spanish fraud, but the Dutch part just shows some national disappointment, expressed by Snelleman in his report of the Sumatra Expedition led by Pieter Johannes Veth in 1879 (names Epimachus vethi Rosenberg, 1875 and Perdix Vethi Snelleman, 1887). Just for entertainment.

Gecinus viridis galiciensis. [44 birds from Galicia, Spain, presented.]. So few specimens have reached the Museum from the north of Spain, that Mr. Seoane's donations were much appreciated. His views on natural history subjects were sometimes rather eccentric, as, for instance, when he issued in 1894 a description of a supposed new Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis galiciensis), and attached to it the date of publication as 1870 - or fourteen years earlier than the paper really appeared. By this means his intention was evidently to ante-date Mr. Howard Saunders' description of Gecinus sharpei, published in 1871. (by Sharpe, Zool.Bull. vol.xxi, p.38, 1894.)
[from The History of the Collections Contained in the Natural History Departments of the British Museum, Volume 2]

If this interpretation of Seoane’s action is correct, here is a nice example of an opposite statement (albeit with some patriotistic regret):
”Het kleine bewijs van hulde dat wij aan den Voorzitter van het Aard.Gen. en leider der uitgave van het werk over de Sumatra-expeditie, Prof. Veth, hadden willen brengen door hem dezen fraaien vogel toe te wijden, moest dus tot ons leedwezen vervallen. [. . .] Van Rhipidura vidua, eindelijk, kunnen wij tot onzen spijt wel de prioriteit der afbeelding, maar evenmin die der beschrijving handhaven. Dit vogeltje werd namelijk mede door Salvadori in de Annalen van het Museum van Genua van 1879 beschreven, en wel onder den naam van Rhipidura atrata, die alleen recht heeft om te worden gehandhaafd, daar ook onze afbeelding eerst na die beschrijving in het licht verscheen. Had de heer Schlegel, toen ik in 1878 met de in de Padangsche Bovenlanden gemaakte verzameling in Nederland terugkeerde, dadelijk lust en gelegenheid gehad eene beschrijving van Perdix Vethi en Rhipidura vidua in de eerste aflevering der toen juist aangevangen “Notes from the Leyden Museum” te geven, dan was voor Nederland en de Sumatra-expeditie de eer der ontdekking van deze beide soorten gehandhaafd.
De heer J.Büttikofer heeft ons zeer aan zich verplicht, door met den ruimeren literarischen apparaat dien hij te Leiden te zijner beschikking had, ons op de hoogte van den toestand betrekkelijk deze vogels te brengen, en ons alzoo te bewaren voor de aanmatiging eener prioriteit van benoeming, waartoe ons het recht ontbreekt.”
[Johannes François Snelleman in Systematisch Overzicht der Vogels, Midden-Sumatra, Reizen en onderzoekingen der Sumatra-expeditie, 1879, pp.31-32]
(translation: The small token of honour which we wished to show to the President of the Geograpic Society and leader of the publication on the Sumatra Expedition, Prof. Veth, by dedicating to him this beautiful bird, had to be cancelled, to our regret. [. . .] Of Rhipidura vidua [the third supposedly new species of the expedition] we can maintain the priority of the plate [made by J.G.Keulemans, on special request], but regrettably not that of the description. This bird was described by Salvadori in the Annals of the Museum of Genua in 1879, under the name of Rhipidura atrata, which is only correctly maintained because our illustration appeared after that description as well. If Mr. Schlegel, when I returned to Holland in 1878 with the collection obtained in the Padang Upperlands, would have been able to give a description of Perdix Vethi and Rhipidura vidua in the first issue of “Notes from the Leyden Museum”, then just started, the honour of the discovery of these species would have been maintained for the Netherlands and the Sumatra Expedition. Mr. J.Büttikofer has much obliged us by informing us about the status concerning these birds, using the more extensive literature of which he could dispose at Leiden, and keeping us from the arrogance of a priority of name-giving to which we were not justified.”

Well, integrity should rule; however, some minor fraud in eponymics can stress the value of the majority. . .
Cheers, Jan van der Brugge

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Today's altered/updated HBW Alive Key:

richardsoni / richardsonii
[...]
● William Bebb Richardson (1912-2006) US mammalogist, collector in New Guinea 1936-1939 ... (subsp. Zapornia tabuensis).

Just one tiny detail, James, regarding Mr Richardson's time, collecting in New Guinea; is "1936" a typo (if so of -38), or did you find even more information?

Did he possibly also participate in the 2nd Archbold Expedition (of 1936-1937) ... ?

I just have to ask, simply as I couldn't find him there (i.e. here).

Cheers

Björn

 

[James Jobling]

Björn,
Yes, the original 1938-1939 is correct; I misread one of the AMNH sites. This lockdown is addling my brain - either that, or too much Sauvignon Blanc. To while away the ennui, I have set up the ICC (Independent Check-list Committee) to review the nomenclature and substantive English names of the world's birds. I am the sole member and chairman, so do not have to worry about the bureaucracy and minutiae of the soi-disant national committees. It is nice to see Blue-wreathed Ifrit and Oleaginous Pipromorph again!
Stay safe and well.

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

James, glad you agreed, I thought I missed something.

Good luck with the ICC! The suggested names mentioned suits me fine, far better than; Cerulean-embellished Djinn* resp. Oily/Slippery Manakinean.

/B

PS. Let me know if there's ever a free seat at the Committee's Round table.

__________________
*Alt. Cyanic-adorned Demon

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Nonsense apart ...

If still of interest; also see William Bebb Richardson's own accounts in BHL (here) from 3rd Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (April 1938 – May 1939), incl. notes on daily activities, particularly on collecting, Species notes, etc., etc. ... (just about the same as in Laurent's post #22, but quicker/easier to access)

For (some) additional details about the guy himself, see the book Bebb genealogy; the descendants of ... (from 1944), by Herbert Bebb (here):

128. William Bebb Richardson , born Feb. 29, 1912; married June 17, 1940, Marjorie Elizabeth Wright ... He was mammalogist of the exploration of New Guinea reported In National Geographic Magazine, March 1941, page 315.

Maybe worth (for someone keen, alt. keener, not me) to have a look at that certain volume of National Geographic?

However; enjoy!

richardsoni ... over and out!

Björn

PS. And thanks Laurent, for identifying Mr Bebb Richardson on the Photo/s. :t:
I simply didn't see/spot the other Photo of him.